Through Separation and Hardships
by MG Cupid
Summary: A story about San's past... Is San who we all think she is? Or is there more? Who is that stranger?


Prologue: Trouble In Paradise

Prologue: Trouble In Paradise

[What's taking him so long?] San thought as she paces back and forth in front of the small pond where the Forest Spirit used to live. It has been a month since the war between gods and humans. Ashitaka is living in Iron Town (Tatara Ba); San is still living in the forest with her wolf brothers. Ashitaka visits San once a week and today is the day. 

San paced some more when a voice said, "Are you _that_ desperate to see me?"

San sprung around and saw Ashitaka leaning on a tree with his arms crossed in front of his chest. San smiled and flung her arms around Ashitaka. "I thought you might not come."

Ashitaka, surprised and glad that San missed him that badly, hugged back. "I confess. There's so much work at Iron Town I wasn't going to come, but then…"

"But then what?" San backed up a bit to look at him with her big innocent eyes.

Ashitaka blushed. [But then I missed you so much I HAVE to see you.] He cleared his throat and replied, "But then I promised you that I would come every week and I have to fulfill my promises. I'll never break it." [Close enough.]

San smiled and looked at him some more. [I can't believe he actually came!] She looked up and down at Ashitaka. He became stronger and his shoulder became boulder. He got a light tan from working at the town and his face matured, but still have his good and boyish look. His voice remains unchanged. [He looks…good.]

Meanwhile San is checking out Ashitaka, Ashitaka is also checking out San. She's no longer a girl, but a young woman. She still puts those red marks on her cheek and she still wears her wolf outfit. She still has the wolf scent on her, but it's now mixed with her own unique scent. Her body curved at the right place and her face matured a little. [She's just like when I first saw her: beautiful, if not prettier.]

After a few more minutes of silent, San walked toward the pond and sat along the shore. Ashitaka followed behind and sat beside her. They began their weekly talk about what they did during the week. Ashitaka talked about the restoration of Iron Town while San just stares at him. [God, I really missed him, even if it's just 7 days.] And when San talks about what the wolves and she did, Ashitaka would look at her deeply. [God, it's been hell through out the week without seeing her lovely face.]

After San finished she found Ashitaka staring at her deeply. She blushed and looked away. As soon as Ashitaka saw San blushed, he realized what he was doing and blushed also.

[Does he like me, or is he just treating me like a friend?] San thought.

[Did she mean it when she said 'I love you'? Or maybe she meant it as a friend?]

Both teenagers have tons of questions in their mind, but no one has the courage to ask. They stayed like that for a few minutes more until the bell rang from Iron Town. Ashitaka stood up and listened. Then he turned to San and said, "That's the town bell, I got to go."

San was a little furious. [The people from Iron Town probably want to waste Ashitaka's time with me. How dare they!] "Fine." She said coldly, "Go to the humans. Leave me alone."

Ashitaka sighed. "Please, San, be a little bit more understanding. They probably have something important for me to do."

"If they need you so much, why don't you stay with them forever! Go and stay with the humans!"

"But San, I am a human! You're a human too! Why can't you see that?" Ashitaka took a hold of San's right arm. [And I thought she would come to her senses after the battle.] "San, someday, you'll have to come back to the village and live with us too!"

"No! I'm a wolf, and there will always be a wolf in me! To become human means I have to give up this part of me! I don't want to be human! I'm a wolf to the very core!"

Ashitaka is starting to get angry. "San! Why can't you understand!" He then notices the Obsidian Knife around her neck. "You think I gave you that for no reason? I want you to come and live with me someday in Iron Town. I need a wife someday, San, not now but someday I will."

"Then you can come and live with us in the forest!"

"I'm human, San. You HAVE to live in Iron Town with the rest of the humans some time in the future! I thought you realized that after Moro died!"

"You know what I realized? I realized that I have to live with both sides. I can't be fully human or fully wolf. I can't abandon my wolf side so that I can be human."

"Yes you can! The wolf side is not that important! Aren't I important to you San? I will need a wife and I want you to be that person."

"You need me, not because you love me, but because you need a wife? If you need a wife so much, why don't you get a human girl to be your wife?"

Ashitaka is really furious. He has, well, tried to hint to her that he loves her, and it took him a lot of courage to say it. He yelled back, "Fine! Maybe I will! I know a girl who loves me deeply, more than you could ever love me. Her name is Kaya and she's pretty. I knew her since she's little and she'll gladly be my wife. I can live without you, San! Kaya is a hundred times better than you, and I love her!"

San was shaking. "So, you have another sweetheart, eh? So you never loved me at all! Fine, go to your sweetheart. Be with her. Leave me alone." San turned around and walked angrily away.

"Fine. I will. Don't expect me to come back. I don't need you, San." Ashitaka walked angrily away too. Who could have expected this to happen to such a happy young couple?


End file.
